THE DREAMTIME FAIRIES

A young girl weaves an enchanted tale to soothe her younger brother to sleep. Lucy is a consummate storyteller, regaling those around her with her fantastical tales. She saves her best stories for the twilight hours, sharing special ones with her favorite bear until slumber overtakes them. In contrast, her younger brother Jamie despises the evening hours, fearfully spotting unnamed frights in the darkened corners of the room. Lucy decides to help her sibling lose his fear of shadows and bedtime by taking him on a mystical journey in search of the “Dreamtime Fairies.” Into the wilds of their imaginations the pair goes. Along the way, they attempt sleeping on beach like turtles and snoozing in the trees like tigers, but without success. Ultimately, Jamie braves the deep abyss of the forest shadows to discover the elusive sprites. Having conquered his fears, Jamie soon falls into a restful slumber, along with Lucy and the other adventurers. Simmons’s (Ebb and Flo and the Baby Seal, p. 109, etc.) fey approach to dispelling youngsters fears of the dark is beguiling; little ones will be so busy searching dusky shadows for the glittering fairies that they will soon forget their anxieties. The lush, full-bleed illustrations lend an otherworldly feel to the tale. Simmons use of unique perspectives, deep, jewel-toned hues, and exotically detailed forest scenes work to convey the ethereal quality of her story. Just like a sprinkling of fairy dust, this magical adventure will sweep little ones off to slumber. (Picture book. 3-6)